Another short chapter... oh well..

Greenie: I'm not angry with you! I've just got a lot of people trying to talk to me at one time! XP

Colombian chick: I think it is spelt Columbia, yes I know it's in America, but I'm in Australia.... I checked with all my friends, they say it is Columbia.... but how should we know?

So, anywho enjoy!

Disclaimer: Mam owns nothing but herself and Saph

Chapter 20

Luck always has a price…

I awoke, tied up. Two cat women were driving the cart; one had dust blonde hair, the other had black, both with lilac brown skin, kind of like Merle's, stripes and all, and golden eyes, that was different to the last time we met, in the air ship, at that time, their eyes had been a pure blue, they had deep purple body suits, with black strap thingies, oh you know what I mean., their Guymelefs were in the back with me,

"Why do you serve Folken?" I asked,

"That's Lord Folken to you! We serve him, because… we do, it is really not of your concern." I shrugged, one glared at me, I guessed it was Mars, since she was with black hair

"You talked before about being injected with Luck, what did you mean?"

"We were injected with a prototype drug, called Luck, the golden liquid flows through our veins, bringing us good fortune!" Iris smiled, I gasped,

"That's terrible," she looked at me quizzically,

"Why?" I sighed,

"ALL luck comes at a price, and I'd hate to think what your price is…" Iris looked slightly scared,

"Iris, she's just trying to get us to lose focus on our mission!" Mars growled, and glared at me, Iris sighed and turned away.

"I'm not, I'm trying to get to know you, I mean, we're probably going to see each other a lot, and I'd rather like to know you well before that so we won't have to worry about details!" I sighed and looked away.

That night, the twins set up camp, and went to sleep...

While they slept, and I was awake, crying and thinking about Van.

Why did I care about him so much?

It hurt so much to be apart from him… was it really… love?

Suddenly, the two cat women began writhed in pain, and scream.

They suddenly began to age, about ten more years, their hair darkened, their skin colour deepened, their faces were more profound and chiselled,

'How can someone age that much in a matter of seconds?' I blinked, 'Is this the price of luck...?'

Their eyes opened, and they groaned getting up,

"Come on, we have to get to Lord Folken quickly, in the Guymelefs."

I saw it come down from the sky, a glider, I could guess who was in there. Folken… Coming to get me,

'Van…' I cried in my mind, 'Help me…' than I saw him,

"Marina, where are you?" he called, I made the blackness turn into where we were.

'Hurry Van…hurry…'

I was snapped back to reality, by the sound of trees falling, and the sight of Escaflowne,

"VAN!" I cried,

"Aurora, I'll save you, I promised I wouldn't let them take you, and I keep all my promises!" The cat women laughed,

"You can't beat us, not when we have luck on our side!"  Van growled, and began the assault. I closed my eyes, unable to watch, I heard the clash of steel on steel, than… suddenly, I felt the cat girl groans of pain, they were ageing again…

They opened up their suits and got out, they walked over to Folken, who had just landed, he watched, in complete shock, as the cat girls, who had only a while ago been twenty or so, aged as they walked to him, with grey, auburn hair, sagging skin, I pitied the, as Folken held them in his arms,

"Lord Folken…" Iris said,

"We're sorry…" Mars gasped and so did Iris, their bodies crumbled into dust, Folken looked emotionless as the dust fell over the ground.

Folken clenched his fists, and let the dust that had once been living flesh slowly fall from his hand, I gasped, as I realised that was not an ordinary hand, but a mechanical one...  had that been why he had lost all emotion?

"Zaibach went too far…Emperor Dornkirk had gone to far...." I heard him whisper.

He got onto the glider, and flew away.

"Aurora, are you ok?" Van asked, I raised a brow,

"If someone could get this Guymelef to let go of me, maybe I would be!"

The next chapter may take a while, since I have been reading through and I decided that the chapter I had next.... well, it wasn't good, so I'm just warning you...